What is an IMC?
The company that connects your freight to the railroad.
An Intermodal Marketing Company helps connect shippers and 3PLs with rail transportation, drayage and the operational coordination required to move freight door to door.
IMC stands for Intermodal Marketing Company.
An IMC is a transportation provider that specializes in arranging intermodal freight movements — freight that travels by rail for the long-haul portion of the trip and by truck for the shorter distances at each end.
Depending on its operating model and contracts, an IMC may work directly with railroads and coordinate:
- Railroad linehaul
- Origin drayage
- Destination drayage
- Equipment
- Routing
- Shipment visibility
- Exception management
Not every company using the term IMC operates under the same contract structure — some hold direct railroad contracts, others do not.
One point of coordination. Several operating parties.
The customer can work with one intermodal point of coordination, even though the movement involves multiple operating parties.
More than buying a rail rate.
Routing
Evaluating ramps, rail routings and dray distance for a given lane.
Rail Access
Securing rail transportation through the IMC’s available contractual relationships.
Drayage
Coordinating the truck move between the shipper and the rail ramp at both ends.
Equipment
Coordinating appropriate intermodal equipment when applicable.
Visibility
Monitoring shipment events and helping customers understand what is happening.
Exceptions
Monitoring disruptions and coordinating next steps when schedules, equipment, drayage or delivery plans change.
One shipment. Several operating handoffs.
The IMC helps coordinate the transportation pieces so the customer does not have to separately manage every provider involved in the movement.
IMC and freight broker aren’t interchangeable terms.
Intermodal transportation
May arrange transportation across multiple modes
Coordinates rail and dray movements
Connects customers with transportation providers
May hold direct rail contracts depending on the IMC
May source intermodal through an IMC or another provider
Intermodal-specific operating expertise
Varies by provider and specialization
3PLs and brokers may work with an IMC rather than instead of one.
The contract behind the move matters.
An IMC with direct railroad contracts can purchase rail transportation under its own agreements rather than sourcing every movement through another intermodal provider.
Potential advantages can include:
- Direct commercial relationship
- Routing options
- Rate structure
- Equipment and capacity programs where applicable
- Operational communication
Direct contracts do not automatically guarantee lower prices, better capacity or better service — the outcome can depend on the lane and operating conditions.
Direct intermodal capability. One accountable team.
LaserNet Jax operates through Laser Networking with direct railroad contracts across CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, CN and CPKC. LaserNet coordinates intermodal transportation for shippers and 3PLs across the U.S. and Canada.
Those relationships give our team the ability to evaluate a lane through multiple rail relationships rather than approaching intermodal through a single railroad or routing option.
LaserNet also provides:
- Routing support
- Drayage coordination
- Shipment tracking
- Proactive shipment communication
- Operational support
It starts with the lane.
There is no single mileage rule that determines whether intermodal works. The answer depends on the entire lane — including rail routing, ramp location, dray distance, transit requirements and freight characteristics.
- Longer-haul distance
- Favorable ramp geography
- Manageable dray distance
- Repeatable freight
- Sufficient transit flexibility
- Appropriate commodity and equipment profile
- Current truckload market conditions
Sometimes truckload is the better answer.
- Short-haul moves
- Extremely tight transit requirements
- Origins or destinations far from practical ramps
- Unusual operating requirements
- Freight where rail schedule or handling doesn’t fit
Seven questions to ask any intermodal provider.
Common questions about IMCs.
The easiest way to understand intermodal is to evaluate a real lane.
Send us the origin, destination and a little context. We’ll look at the routing, dray, rail option and operating requirements and tell you how we’d approach it.